ASK IRA: Is the onus on Hassan Whiteside to power the Heat?

Q: So again, there's much more to be desired when it comes to Hassan Whiteside. His effort just seems to be sporadic. I’d much rather see Bam Adebayo start and play 30 minutes per game. So let’s commit to his development and just ignore the Whiteside complaints along the way. -- Myles.

A: The difference is Bam Adebayo remains raw, still needs to refine elements of his game before necessarily being gifted minutes. If anything, I would have gone more with Kelly Olynyk on Sunday night. The Heat made a major investment in Kelly and have gotten enough results that it’s hard to fathom only 8:29 of playing time against the Lakers. But this is not about Bam. And it's not about Kelly. It's about Hassan. The one thing that makes him truly unique, and arguably special, is the power and explosion in his game. And that cannot be a sometimes thing. Making 3-pointers can be a sometimes thing. Timing steals on defense can be a sometimes things. But exerting energy and force has to be an all-the-time thing for Hassan. Powering the ball through the defense. Displaying enough force so Tyson Chandler doesn't come off the bench and outrebound you. There are not many other positons in the Heat lineup where there can be a nightly advantage. Center, with Whiteside, has to be one of them.

Q: Games are getting hard to watch. I keep trying to convince myself of what could be, but in reality we are just not that good. -- Steve.

A: It's one thing to lose and have someone like Kemba Walker to keep it interesting. It's another when there is not much to get excited about. And it has to be more than 36-year-old Dwyane Wade. This team needs to create some sort of spark. Hassan Whiteside would seem to be that player. Perhaps it will take Dion Waiters at his confident best.

Q: Ira, is there a scenario where the Heat can trade for Kevin Durant before the trade deadline? With what's going on in Golden State, they may want to get rid of Kevin so that it doesn’t disrupt their championship run. As you know, Pat Riley likes trading for players who are not happy. -- Jorge.

A: I can't fathom what it would take for Golden State to make such a move with Durant, but it would have to be far more than this current rough patch. And, as with so many of the trade permutations sent this way, exactly what are the Heat going to entice with? While the lower-end contracts of Josh Richardson, Bam Adebayo and even Justise Winslow might tempt a team looking for complementary pieces, there still is the matter of making the cap math match up. And who exactly is taking on Dion Waiters or James Johnson? Besides, it certainly appears that Durant has eyes on the Lakers or Knicks when he hits free agency, so you would be looking at a rental if Golden State would decide to punt.

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Erik Spoelstra on the Heat's zone defense.

Erik Spoelstra on the Heat's zone defense.

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Erik Spoelstra on the Heat's zone defense.

Erik Spoelstra on the Heat's zone defense.

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Dwyane Wade on Dion Waiters.

Dwyane Wade on Dion Waiters.

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Miami Heat guard Tyler Johnson on bringing the team's mentality on the road back home to AmericanAirlines Arena.

Miami Heat guard Tyler Johnson on bringing the team's mentality on the road back home to AmericanAirlines Arena.